Taking care of himself. Jersey Shore star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro stepped away from the cameras in 2021, but why did he leave? Keep reading to find out why he left and what he’s been up to since.
Why Did Ronnie Leave ‘Jersey Shore’?
The MTV vet announced his departure from the long-running reality series in May 2021 just days after he was arrested on domestic violence charges.
“After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I’ve ignored for too long,” he wrote via Instagram Stories on May 13, 2021. “My No. 1 goal now is facing my struggles head on. This process will be difficult, but my No. 1 priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can [be] for my daughter.”
Ronnie was arrested in Los Angeles in April 2021 before being released on a $100,000 bond.
“I am grateful for all of my real friends! Thank you for being by my [side] the last few week[s]. I take all experiences as lessons,” he shared following his release. “You learn who really cares about you when you’re down and out and [then] you see who doesn’t!”
The former reality star’s attorneys, Scott E. Leemon and Leonard Levine, later told Us Weekly that “the L.A. County District Attorney’s office and the L.A. City Attorney’s office determined that criminal charges were not warranted against Ronnie related to the incident that occurred in April.”
Will Ronnie Return to ‘Jersey Shore’?
Ronnie’s ex-girlfriend, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, announced her long-awaited return to the Shore in March 2023, something she previously chose not to do, claiming she was “at a completely different place” in her life.
However, it doesn’t appear there will be a Ronnie-Sammi reunion anytime soon as Snooki (real name Nicole Polizzi) previously hinted that Ronnie was the reason Sammi would not return.
“All of us girls texted her like, ‘Listen! Ronnie isn’t on the show right now. You should definitely come on even if it’s just a girls’ dinner—just with us and catch up,’” Snooki told Danny Pellegrino on his “Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino” podcast in January 2022. “She’s just like, ‘No. I’m good.’ She wants nothing to do with the show.”
The New York native made a brief return to the spinoff series, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, for an August 2022 episode.
“It’s been a lot of just doing the right thing — being a full-time dad and being sober,” Ron explained to costar Mike Sorrentino. “I’m living the best life I can, one day at a time.”
